This Newsletter will come to you
twice per year to inform you about the symposia of the CWE, about research
opportunities, about activities of Stowa's Water Mosaic and to announce
events and news. We are open for suggestions and contributions
Rob
Fraaije (secretary CWE)
Jos Verhoeven (chairman CWE) |
| CWE News |
Next CWE
symposium |
Stream restoration: beyond geomorphology
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Wageningen University,
15 December 2011 |
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| Numerous stream
restoration projects have been carried out in the past decades. In many
cases, these were mostly aiming at the reconstruction of the
geomorphology of the stream. Examples are the construction of meanders
and narrowing of the stream profile. Much less attention was paid to the
restoration of stream functioning, e.g. erosion and sedimentation, more
natural flooding patterns, presence of woody debris and the enhancement
of habitat connectivity in the stream valley. This symposium will focus
on stream restoration projects where the emphasis was on restoration of
stream ecosystem functioning and the associated enhancement of the
diversity of stream biota |
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| CWE-AIO graduated |
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The
CWE as a consortium has funded 8 collaborative Ph.D. projects about 5 years
ago. Five AIO's already graduated in 2010 and 2011. Right now we can congratulate
Ellen Weerman, who obtained her new degree on 11 May 2011 in Nijmegen.
Two more graduations to come in 2012.
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Spatial patterns in phototrophic biofilms
(By Ellen Weerman)
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11 May 2011: Ellen
Weerman (NIOO and UvA), "Spatial patterns in
phototrophic biofilms. The role of physical and biological interactions."
Personal page >>
2012: Melis Akman (UvA and RU), "Diversity
and adaptation in the genus Yellow Cress, response to flooding"
Personal page >>
2012: Casper van
Leeuwen (NIOO and RU), "Dispersal of aquatic organisms by
waterbirds" Personal
page >>
Click
here
for an overview of all 8 projects
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CWE symposium on
eutrophication
(June 2011): new ideas and exciting results
The third CWE symposium in Nijmegen was attended by
100 participants and brought a nice overview of recent work on top-down and
bottom-up processes involved in eutrophication of wetlands and lakes.
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Joost Keuskamp (Utrecht) presented a study
of the effects of nutrient and labile carbon additions to mangrove
ecosystems. He used Substrate-Induced Respiration (SIR) to distinguish
between effects on decomposition of easily degradable versus recalcitrant
litter. This is relevant in the context of the carbon sequestration function
of mangroves.
Pieter
Lemmens (Leuven) discussed the impact of fish community structure
on overall biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in deep lakes.
Leon
Lamers (Nijmegen) gave an overview of the overriding
role of sediment processes in the biogeochemistry of wetlands.
Liesbeth Bakker
(NIOO Wageningen) talked about her research of
interactions between grazing and eutrophication in aquatic plant vegetation
in lakes.
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Frank van Oosterhout
(Wageningen) discussed measures to reduce
phosphorus availability in lakes by modifying sediment structure or
chemistry. the use of lanthane in Phoslock grains may have a beneficial
effect on lake water quality.
Leo Nagelkerke (Wageningen) presented an interesting
overview of the consequences of Nile perch introduction in
Lake Victoria and the resulting aftereffects on fisheries and
eutrophication.
Jan Roelofs
(Nijmegen) presented work
on the effects of warming and carbon dioxide increase on softwater lake
vegetation and the consequences for the ecosystem.
Finally,
Sarian Kosten (Wageningen) discussed
effects of climate change on the balance between aquatic plant and
phytoplankton dominance in shallow lakes.
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All lectures are available on the website of CWE:
click here >> |
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Collaborative research projects
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Volgermeerpolder Natural cap conference
PEATCAP research kick-off
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The former
waste dump “Volgermeer” near Amsterdam has been remediated and turned
into a new landscape of 35 large ponds (named ‘sawa’s’ after the
Indonesian rice paddies) together covering 110 hectares and underlain
by a thick, continuous plastic sheet to seal off the hazardous
materials from the environment. Prince Willem Alexander opened the new
Volgermeer on 19 April. During the ceremony, the management of the
area was handed over to the city of
Amsterdam
and opened to the general public. The area can be used for recreation
(biking and walking). A scientific symposium
under the heading of ‘Natural Cap’ highlighted the scientific and
technical aspects of the design and construction of the remediation
site and compared it with other remediation activities in other parts
of the world. For more information on this symposium:
click here >>
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In April, the new CWE
project PEATCAP funded by the Stichting voor de Technische
Wetenschappen (STW) has been kicked off. The activities are
coordinated by Dr. Leon Lamers of Radboud University Nijmegen and
will be mainly carried out by three junior researchers from
different research groups:
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Sarah Faye
Harpenslager, Radboud University Nijmegen, supervised by Leon
Lamers and Jan Roelofs
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Jeroen van Zuidam, Utrecht University, supervised by Merel
Soons and Jos Verhoeven
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Ciska
Overbeek, University of Amsterdam,
supervised by Harm van der Geest and Wim Admiraal
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The research will cover a broad range of
aspects including wetland biogeochemistry (RUN), colonization and
succession (UU) and decomposition and trophic interactions (UvA).
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Research projects in Markermeer – IJmeer
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4 CWE research groups are developing a common research
proposal to generate knowledge for the design of a large wetland in the
northern part of the Markermeer near Lelystad. The wetland is meant to
strengthen the biodiversity values in this lake area and to help reverse the
downward environmental trend in this large, turbid shallow lake area.
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|
 Water
mosaic |
14 September 2011 Excursion
temporary drawdown to improve water quality |
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Many Dutch lakes suffer from bad water qualities as a cause of external and
internal eutrophication. Dredging has been shown to be effective in reducing
the nutrient load but is a costly measure. Temporary drawdown seems to be an
effective and cheaper alternative. Field- and experimental research have
showed that temporary drawdown lowers the nutrient concentrations in the
water column. In this project, temporary drawdown is further investigated at
several field locations in the Netherlands. Additionally, experimental
research is performed in the lab. During the meeting and excursion on 14
September the social support for this measure will be discussed and
preliminiary results of the research will be presented. More information and
registration (in Dutch):
click
here >>
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| 29-30 November 2011 Two day course: "from clear to
turbid... and back" |
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Water managers have a though job to reach the targets
of the Water Framework Directive. High phosphate loads in lakes are a
major obstacle in this, as it hampers the return to clear
vegetation-rich waters. The STOWA-report 'Van helder naar troebel...en
weer terug' assists water managers to grasp these phosphate issues. This
report will be the basis for the two-day course in November, and can be
downloaded
here (in Dutch) >>. Author Nico Jaarsma will present in detail the
causes and mechanisms behind the phosphate issues, and will provide
recommendations for effective measures. For more information and
registration (in Dutch):
click here >>
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| Grants and awards |
Society of Wetland Scientists Fellow Awards
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Jos Verhoeven
(Utrecht University) and
Dennis Whigham (emeritus UU, Smithsonian
Institution Washington) have been elected for a Fellow Award for their
contribution to Wetland Science. The Fellow Award is the highest
disctinction of the society. The awards were given during the annual SWS
meeting in Prague
in July.
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ERC Starting Grant for biogeochemist Caroline Slomp
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Dr. ir. Caroline Slomp from Utrecht University has been
awarded an ERC Starting Independent Researcher Grant of 1.5 million euros by
the European Research Council (ERC). This will finance her research on the
development of anoxic zones in oceans and the role of variations in the
availability of phosphate for the next five years. Slomp hopes to find out
what the relation is between the quantity of oceanic phosphate and climate
in the past, present and future.
Read more >>
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| Other news |
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Climate change
seems unfavourable for toxic cyanobacterial species
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Scientists of the University of Amsterdam (UvA)
and the Netherlands Institute for Ecology (NIOO) discovered that increased
carbon dioxide concentrations may reduce toxic cyanobacterial blooms in
freshwater lakes. Higher temperatures stimulate growth of the cyanobacteries,
but higher carbon dioxide concentrations favours the non-toxic species which
suppresses the growth of the toxic species. This NWO-funded research was
carried out by Prof.dr. Jef Huisman,
dr.
Jolanda Verspagen, dr. Dedmer van de Waal (ex CWE AIO) and NIOO-researcher
Prof.dr. Ellen van Donk, and will be published in the ISME Journal
and discussed in News & Views in the journal
Nature Climate Change.
Read more (in Dutch) on the
website of UvA >>
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Ph.D graduations
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Cristina Pulido Perez
(RU / University of Copenhagen) 29 April 2011:
"Isoetid eco-physiology and O2". Link to thesis >>
Thimo Klotzbücher
(UvA) 8 June 2011: "Fate of Lignin in Forest
Soils".
Read more >> or see his
personal
page >>
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Francien Peterse
(NIOZ) 15 September 2011: "Environmental
controls on the distribution of bacterial tetraether membrane lipids:
Constratints on the MBT-CBT paleothermometer".
Personal page >>
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Jan Jansen
(RU) 28 September 2011: "Managing natura
2000 in a changing world: The case of the Serra da Estrela". More
information on the newspage of
Experimental plant
ecology (RU) >>
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| AGENDA |
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| 21-24
November 2011:
1st World
Delta Summit; The Pulse of Deltas and Impact on the Future.
Jakarta,
Indonesia
(mostly on global climate change effects)
More information >> |
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3-8 June 2012:
9th INTECOL International Wetlands Conference -
Wetlands in a complex world. Caribe Royale, Orlando,
Florida, USA.
More information >>
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17-21 June 2012:
:
Society of Wetland Scientists meeting of European
Chapter, Aarhus University, Denmark. Information: Susanne Lemche
ssle@dmu.dk
2-6 July 2012:
4th International congress EUROSOIL - Wetland,
floodplain, riparian soils: properties, processes and ecological functions.
Fiera del Levante, Bari Italy.
More information >>
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